Meta is facing calls from U.K. banks and payment firms like Revolut to financially compensate people who fall for scams on their services.
Jaap Arriens | Nurphoto via Getty Images
Tensions are escalating between banking and payment companies and social media firms in the U.K. over who should be liable for compensating people if they fall victim to fraud schemes online.
Starting from Oct. 7, banks will be required to start compensating victims of so-called authorized push payment (APP) fraud a maximum £85,000 if those individuals affected were tricked or psychologically manipulated into handing over the cash.
APP fraud is a form of a scam where criminals attempt to convince people to send them money by impersonating individuals or businesses selling a service.
The £85,000 reimbursement sum could prove costly for large banks and payment firms. However, it’s actually lower than the mandatory £415,000 reimbursement amount that the U.K.’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) had previously proposed.
The PSR backed down from its bid for the lofty maximum compensation payout following industry backlash, with industry group the Payments Association in particular saying it would be far too costly a sum tor the financial services sector to bear.
But now that the mandatory fraud compensation is being rolled out in the U.K., questions are being asked about whether financial firms are facing the brunt of the cost for helping fraud victims.
On Thursday, London-based digital bank Revolut accusedMeta of falling “woefully short of what’s required to tackle fraud globally.” The Facebook-owner announced a partnership earlier this week with U.K. lenders NatWest and Metro Bank, to share intelligence on fraud activity that takes place on its platforms.
Woody Malouf, Revolut’s head of financial crime, said that Meta and other social media platforms should help cover the cost of reimbursing victims of fraud and that, by sharing no responsibility in doing so, “they have no incentive to do anything about it.”
Revolut’s call for large tech platforms to financially compensate people who fall for scams on their websites and apps isn’t new.
Proposals to make tech firms liable
Tensions have been running high between banks and tech companies for some time. Online fraud has risen dramatically over the last several years due to an acceleration in the usage of digital platforms to pay others and buy products online.
In June, the Financial Times reported that the Labour Party had drafted proposals to force technology firms to reimburse victims of fraud that originates on their platforms. It is not clear whether the government still plans to require tech firms to pay compensation out to victims of APP fraud.
A government spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Matt Akroyd, a commercial litigation lawyer at Stewarts, told CNBC that, after their victory on lowering the maximum reimbursement limit for APP fraud down to £85,000, banks “will receive another boost if their efforts to push the government to place some regulatory liability on tech companies is also successful.”
However, he added: “The question of what regulatory regime could cover those companies who do not play an active role in the PSR’s payment systems, and how, is complicated meaning that this issue is not likely to be resolved any time soon.”
More broadly, banks and regulators have long been pushing social media companies for more collaboration with retail banks in the U.K. to help combat the fast-growing and constantly evolving fraud threat. A key ask has been for the tech firms to share more detailed intelligence on how criminals are abusing their platforms.
At a U.K. finance industry event focusing on economic fraud in March 2023, regulators and law enforcement stressed the need for social media companies to do more.
“We hear anecdotally today from all of the firms that we talk to, that a large proportion of this fraud originates from social media platforms,” Kate Fitzgerald, head of policy at the PSR, told attendees of the event.
She added that “absolute transparency” was needed on where the fraud was occurring so that regulators could know where to focus their efforts in the value chain.
Social media firms not doing enough to combat and remove attempts to defraud internet users was another complaint from regulatory authorities at the event.
“The bit that’s missing is the at-scale social media companies taking down suspect accounts that are involved in fraud,” Rob Jones, director general of the National Economic Crime Centre, a unit of the U.K. National Crime Agency, said at the event.
Jones added that it was tough to “break the inertia” at tech companies to “really get them to get after it.”
Tech firms push ‘cross-industry collaboration’
Meta has pushed back on suggestions that it should be held liable for paying out compensation to victims of APP fraud.
In written evidence to a parliamentary committee last year, the social media giant said that banks in the U.K. are “too focused on their efforts to transfer liability for fraud to other industries,” adding that this “creates a hostile environment which plays into the hands of fraudsters.”
The company said that it can use live intelligence from big banks through its Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) initiative to help stop fraud and evolve and improve its machine learning and AI detection systems. Meta called on the government to “encourage more cross-industry collaboration like this.”
In a statement to CNBC Thursday, the tech giant stressed that banks, including Revolut, should look to join forces with Meta on its FIRE framework to facilitate data exchanges between the firm and large lenders.
FIRE “is designed to enable banks to share information so we can work together to protect people using our respective services,” a spokesperson for Meta said last week. “Fraud is a multi-sector spanning issue that can only be addressed by working collaboratively.”
Check out the companies making headlines before the stock market opens. GameStop – Shares jumped more than 4%, extending their gains from Tuesday. The video game retailer has risen four straight days and climbed more than 77% in 2024. Crypto stocks – Stocks linked to the price of bitcoin moved lower as the cryptocurrency slid on Thursday. Shares of bitcoin proxy MicroStrategy fell about 3%, and crypto services provider Coinbase dropped about 2%. Bitcoin miner Riot Platforms pulled back more than 2%. Honda – U.S.-listed shares rose more than 4%, bringing this week’s advance to advance to about 14%, on the heels of merger talks announced at the start of the week with fellow Japanese automaker Nissan. The move also comes amid a rally among Asia-Pacific stocks following a report that Japan’s government is reportedly set to propose a record $735 billion budget. Starbucks – Shares edged down 0.4% after the coffee chain’s workers expanded a strike earlier this week. The holiday work action now affects more than 300 stores in 45 states. American Airlines – The airline fell 0.6% after the Fort Worth-based carrier was forced to temporarily halt flights on Tuesday morning due to a computer glitch that caused a systemwide ground stop. American ended Tuesday 0.6% higher. — CNBC’s Alex Harring and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.
One basis point is equal to 0.01%. Yields move inversely to prices.
Jobless claims for the week ended Dec.21 are expected to total 225,000, according to an estimate from Dow Jones. Claims for the prior week totaled 220,000.
The benchmark 10-year rate has climbed more than 40 basis points this month. The bulk of the advance came after the Federal Reserve pared down rate-cut projections, indicating only two more interest rate cuts in 2025, down from the four potential cuts penciled in during September.
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The elevated inflation in recent years continued to wreak havoc on many Americans’ wallets in 2024, but the start of the new year provides a great opportunity to set new financial goals to get back on track.
“As we step into 2025, the country’s financial landscape calls for proactive resolutions to address rising concerns such as inflation and debt,” WalletHub analyst Chris Lupo told FOX Business. “Top financial resolutions for 2025 should be focused on smart budgeting, saving, and debt repayment.”
Many Americans set new financial goals at the start of the New Year (iStock / iStock)
Here are some of the top financial New Year’s resolutions for 2025, according to WalletHub:
1. Make a realistic budget and stick to it
“With Americans carrying nearly $1.3 trillion in credit card debt, setting realistic budgets is a must,” Lupo said.
Lupo says saving is also key, as many households lack emergency funds. He suggests starting small with a goal of saving two months’ take-home pay and working your way up to a year’s worth.
“Don’t forget to maximize your earnings: 5%+ APYs on online savings accounts make switching banks worthwhile,” he noted, adding that high-yield Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are also worth considering.
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3. Explore ways to refinance high interest rates
High-interest debt is costly, so Lupo says to consider tools like balance transfer cards or debt consolidation loans to cut costs.
4. Repay 25% of your credit card debt
The average American is currently carrying more than $10,000 in credit card debt, and the sooner it can be tackled, the better. WalletHub says it is important to get serious about it, but suggests it is probably best to start small by setting a goal of chipping away at a quarter of it over the course of the year.
Look for ways to cut costs in everyday expenses, like shopping around for everything you buy, taking advantage of deals and coupons, turning the thermostat down, buying in bulk and cutting back until prices come down.
WalletHub suggests fighting back against high prices by shopping around and finding the best price on everyday items. (Paola Chapdelaine for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
WalletHub has another 10 suggestions for 2025 financial resolutions, including paying bills right after getting your paycheck, making sure you have enough insurance for a catastrophe, protecting your identity, brushing up on your financial literacy, and even looking for a better job.
“Focus on financial literacy and healthy money habits, like paying bills immediately after payday,” Lupo said. “These steps will help make 2025 a financially healthier year.”